The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-07-25
THE REPUBLICAN PARTY.
The Story of Its Origin and Growth Told In .
Few Paragraphs.


Letter in Boston Herald.
Tn Michigan Ohio Indiana New York W
mont and Massachusetts there formed thu
Republican party OF 1854. and in each State the
party had its candidates in field, who were
generally elected and who continued Ra
publicars. Michigan held her convention ana
first gave a name to the party July 6, 1854 and
by coalition carried the State against the
Democracy and the anti-Nebraska bill Zach
Chandler aud Kinslsy S. Bingham were active
workers at that time in organizing the party
On July Is, 1854, Vermont held her first Re-
publican convention, and by coalition, carried
the State Ohio held hers the same day, and in
the same manner swept the State at the fail
election. Indiana also held hers the same day-
and in tho same manner carried the State.
New York called her first Repu biican conveu-
ton at Angelica, and met Oct H. 1854
Horace Greeley was DESTROYS to be nominated
that year as Republican and temperance can
didate but was pursuaded to withdraw his claim
and Myron III. Clark was nominated and elected
Governor, through a coalition. and Henry j.
Raymond, the American and Republican candi-
date, chosen Lieutenant governor. W. H
Seward Thurlow Weed, Preston King, and 9TH
err distn guished Re publicans took active parts
and through this coalition, and by American
votes, Seward was elected to the Senate again
In 1855. there was a breach of the coalition oy
some of the more radical Republicans in Massa-
chussetts. who wished TO run Gardner off the
track; but he was again nominated and elected
over Rockwell, who had obtained the nomination
by a radical ma orty of seven votes IN the Repub-
llcan convention. Throughout the North from
this time, the antislavery Americans and Re-
pubIicans were pretty we'll united. and they
srrove to build up one great party
against the slave power by any honorable
means. Governor Chase, OF Ohio, and Leuten-
ant-governor Ford, Gov. W. s. johnson, Of
Pennslyvania, with Jonn Covode and other
Republican members of Congress-; Schuyler Col
fax and portion of the New York delegation
went strongly into this movement The Massa-
chusetts delegation, headed by Arson Bur-
lingame, Linus B. Comins William s. Damrel
and Rev. Mark Traitor, favored it. Various
preliminary conventions held in 1855 and the
spring of 1856 opened the way to the great
presidential nomination which followed Henry
Ward Bescber. in February, 1855. Joined
forces to the Republican party. The South
American party. composed mostly of old Union
wings, drew off. leaving the North American,
then in the majority. united As
fast as possible they determined to and did
unite with the Republican party. This
was favored by Weed. Seward, Greeley, Chase
johnson, Preston King and others. and finally
led to the union, which placed Fremont aud
johnson in the field for President and Vice
president. Carl Schurz threw his influence
against johnson and in favor of Dayton, and it
was this that divided the Northern and Eastern
vote, and which finally. with the detection Of
some of Stewards friends, defeated Fremont